


Of Knights and Men

by Raiven_Raine



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angsty Teenage Boy, Brotherhoof od Steel, Character Development, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, Mild Language, Plot Twists, Recreational Drug Use, September Photo Prompt Contest, Synths, Underage Drinking, Unorthodox Synth-related Headcanon, light Violence, photo-prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 11:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8284945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiven_Raine/pseuds/Raiven_Raine
Summary: A canon divergent story based heavily around the movie Treasure Planet (which is, in turn, based on Treasure Island!)
  **This fic is the SEPTEMBER 2016 entry for LGA's 4 part photo-prompt contest on Tumblr!

   - - - - - - - - - - - 
Jayke has been on a slippery slope of rebellious and dangerous behavior for years and it's only getting worse.His mother fears she's losing him, as she had lost his father when he was just a young boy, and she's desperate to get him to change his ways before it's too late.In a serendipitous twist of fate, Jay is taken in by the Brotherhood of Steel. He rails against it at first, but Danse just won't give up on the kid...





	1. Running

**Author's Note:**

  * For [likegoodangels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/likegoodangels/gifts).



>   
> 
> 
> **  
> **  
> **September 2016 Photo Prompt**  
>   
> 
> 
> Entries will be judged by the following:
> 
> *2,000 word minimum (Excluding September 2016)
> 
> *Story is labelled and tagged correctly
> 
> *References the image
> 
> *Has ALL 4 stories completed  
> 
> 
> \- - - - - - - - - - - 
> 
> This fic was fueled by four great songs:
> 
> [ Somewhere I Belong ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsCD5XCu6CM)\- Linkin Park
> 
> [ Numb ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU)\- Linkin Park
> 
> [ Breaking the Habit ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H4l9RpkwM)\- Linkin Park
> 
> [ I'm Still Here ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA68KUb4e7Q)\- Music from the motion picture - Treasure Planet

  
  
  
  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****

Wide open spaces. Wind rushing through his hair. _Speed._ The world melted away in a blur as Jayke raced onward through the wastes on his dirtbike.

_Faster._

Nothing mattered. No troubles. Everything was left far behind in the cloud of dust kicked up from his tires. 

_Faster._

Jay smiled as the bike broke his past record for top speed. He hunkered down and took it over a chunk of broken asphalt that angled upward. _Flight._ Disconnected from the earth below for a few seconds that slowed around him and stretched into eternity. 

_Almost._

No matter how far he traveled or how fast he went, Jay was still bound by the world around him. His wheels hit the earth eventually. He ran out of fuel all too quickly and everything caught up, leaving him right where he started. Troubles catching up and surrounding him once more; Life gripping him tightly and pinning him down. 

Kicking him once he was there. 

Right in the head.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Jayke sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor as he was escorted through the door to the Bunker Inn. _Yet again._

“J.C.! What did you do this time?” His mother dropped a cleaning rag on the counter and wiped her hands dry on her jeans as she approached. 

He opened his mouth to defend himself when one of his escorts, _one of the guards,_ spoke in his stead, “We caught him, _this time,_ ” The guard glanced sideways at Jay, “after tearing through the trade square on that bike of his then flagrantly ignoring us when we attempted to stop him.” 

“After he stole some items from Sam,” the second guard added. 

“I didn’t steal them! They were in the trash!” Jayke pulled his arms free of their grip and glared. 

Her shoulders slumped. “I am so sorry… I’ll pay for whatever he took and--”

“We confiscated his vehicle. He won’t be getting it back this time.” One of the guards crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at Jay with all the disapproval he could muster. Which was quite a bit. 

Jayke huffed and crossed his own arms tightly in reply. He didn’t do anything wrong. _This time._ They had no right to take his bike. Didn’t matter. He had others stashed around the Commonwealth. He had to. They kept taking them. The guards didn’t understand his need for escape. His mom didn’t understand. _How could they?_

He couldn’t take the looks of disapproval from everyone around him any longer. Jay shoved away from his escorts and trotted upstairs to his room.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

_His room._

Jay pulled his shirt off, wadded it up, and threw it down angrily then popped the top off a bottle of ale and slumped back onto a window-side bench. _Defeated._

Funny how this space was both a safe haven and a prison. His eyes moved from the bottle in his hand to the street below. He watched the guards leave the inn, walking down the dirt road and disappearing around the corner. 

_And then he watched a ghost walk down that dirt road._

The man was never really there to begin with. He would appear for short periods of time. A day or two. Jayke couldn’t remember his face anymore. 

It had been so long.

When Jay was a young boy, living in the Capital, his father was scarce. The last time he saw the man was when Jayke sat upstairs in his house and watched him walk away. 

As his mind conjured up the wafty image of his younger self running out the door after the ghost to desperately tug on the man’s Brotherhood of Steel jacket, anger rose up like bile and he washed it back down with a long swallow of ale. 

His mother cried and held him tight that day. The following day, they up and moved out to the Commonwealth.

Jay finished off his drink and fished around under the bench for a moment. He leaned back and ran his fingers over the jet canister before putting it to his mouth without a second thought. 

Perhaps his mom did know what it felt like to need to escape.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

He’d been selfish. He knew it.

The ugly truth was… Jay didn’t care. He didn’t care about the people in Bunker Hill. Didn’t care about anyone in the Commonwealth. Damn sure didn’t care about himself. He was a loner. An outcast. Didn’t belong.

But he did it to himself. 

He turned his back on everyone. 

_Learned from the best._

Standing from the bench, Jay stretched and let out a sigh as he snatched up his shirt and put it back on. Mom was upset and he had a few hours to cool off. Better go pick up the pieces of his rebellious tirade. _Again._

Maybe he did still care about a few things…  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Jay slowed his steps then paused at the top of the stairs when he heard his mother talking about him.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore, Codsworth.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “He’s so smart… He builds those working bikes out of nothing but scrap he finds. Reads all those books… He has so much potential.” 

Jayke slowly squatted down and peered through the railing. She was sitting on a stool at the counter with her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. 

“I’m sure it’s just a phase, mum. Don’t you worry, I’m sure he’ll do better with some time.” The robot’s constant cheery voice was a heavy contrast to his mother’s quiet distressed tone.

“It’s been ‘just a phase’ for years and it isn’t getting any better. I found chems in his room, Cods… _Chems!_ ” Her hands hit the table in frustrated anger. “It’s bad enough he’s been drinking… But… Chems. He’s been visiting Goodneighbor. I know it. He doesn’t say where he goes, but…” She trailed off and sat up straighter. “I’m scared he’s going to fall in with the wrong crowd.”

“Perhaps he needs a hobby.” Codsworth perked up. “Nothing like a good puzzle or comic book collection to occupy time.” He chuckled. 

“He does need some sort of outlet for his energy… but more than that...” Her voice quieted down considerably, “he needs a good role model.”

Jay tightened his hands around the railing and pressed his forehead to the wood, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Ah, yes!” The robot agreed. “How about our friends Preston and Sturges? They would make great role models for the boy!”

She sighed again, “Don’t you think I’ve already tried that? I had hoped they would influence him more, but they’re just too… I don’t know. Passive? He doesn’t seem to respond well to them. He gets along with Sturges alright, but the two of them only spend their time building bikes, which ends up encouraging his reckless behavior.”

“Don’t you worry, mum, we’ll think of something.” 

“I hope so… Before it’s too late…” Jayke could barely hear her as she put her head in her hands again and nearly murmured, “I don’t want to lose him... He’s all I have left.”

Jay pushed himself up and turned back to his room.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Jayke threw open his window, climbed out onto the roof and hopped down onto crates piled next to the awning. He kicked a rock along the dirt as he shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked down the road. What did they know? How could they possibly know what he needs? He didn’t need anything or anyone, he just wanted to be left alone.

Rounding a corner, Jay nearly collided with a man hastily stumbling around the backside of a building. 

The man paused, staring at the boy in surprise, then he dropped to his knees.

“Woah!” Jayke caught him before he face planted into the dirt. “Shit… You okay?”

“Can’t… Let them… Get me…” The man spluttered as he leaned against Jay heavily. 

“What? Who?” He glanced around the dark alleyway between the backs of buildings and the wall. 

He coughed wetly, blood dripping off his lip. “Can you hear it?” A blood wet black glove clutched at Jay’s shirt. “Heavy… metal boots…” He coughed and drew in a ragged breath.

Jayke wrapped his arms around the man and worked to pull him to his feet. He dropped his head forward and Jay’s eyes widened when he saw the side of his head behind one ear cut open and bleeding freely down his black trenchcoat. 

“Shit, man… Fuck… Gotta get you some help…” Jayke held the man tight and started making his way back home. “Your head…”

“Don’t let them get it!” The man hissed.

“Your head?” Jayke grunted as he pulled the man along side him with labored steps. “C’mon… Ya gotta work with me here…” 

They trudged back to the inn and nearly fell through the door. Jay’s mom jumped to her feet as he let the man go limp in the middle of the floor.

“J.C.! What on Earth?!” She rushed over with Codsworth in tow.

“He’s hurt. He needs help!” Jayke knelt beside the man.

“I’ll fetch the first-aid kit.” Cods floated quickly away.

Blood soaked the back of his hair from the cut, which Jay could now see went in past his skull. 

Jayke stared, “Shit… That’s… Not good. Who did this?”

“Don’t…” The man wheezed and dropped his hand into Jay’s clumsily, “let them get it.” He wheezed again and coughed quietly, his hand sliding out of Jayke’s and dropping heavily against the floor. 

“Stay with me… Hey… Guy?” Jay grabbed the black trenchcoat in one hand and shook him, “Hey… Fuck…”

His mother covered her mouth in both hands to stifle a sound as her eyes went wide.

Codsworth returned with the medkit and broke the shocked tension, “Here we are! We’ll just give him a stimpack and he’ll be right as rain--”

“He’s dead…” Jay opened his hand and stared down at the object the man had given him. A little black chip, covered in blood. He eyed the hole in the man’s head and wrinkled his nose. The crazy bastard did it to himself. He hadn’t done the laser rifle burns to his body, however. 

And then he heard voices outside. 

“Blood here. Check the perimeter.” 

“He’s inside.”

“Don’t let your guard down, he’s desperate.”

“No way he’s still alive…”

Jayke scrambled to his feet, grabbed his mom by the arm and ran upstairs with her. Codsworth floated quickly behind, still clutching the med-kit like some sort of life-line. 

He shut the door to his room and jammed a chair up under the knob. “We gotta get outta here.” He peered out the window and caught sight of three shadowed figures just as they entered the inn.

“J.C.! Who are those people?” Mom whispered loudly as he ushered her to the window to climb out.

“How the hell should I know?!” He glared then shook it off, “just… Let’s go. Hurry!”

He heard voices downstairs but couldn’t make out what they said beyond, “sweep the place. Leave nothing unturned.” And then, “check upstairs. Weapons hot.”

Jay nudged his mom to move faster as she stepped out on the roof then he shoved Cods out after her just as the doorknob was turned and the door rattled. He hopped out the window as the door was kicked in with a loud crash as he disappeared around the corner on the awning to jump down. 

He didn’t look back as he hit the ground running, but he heard someone cussing from his window as they watched him vanish around the corner.  
  


****

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****


	2. Turning

  
  
  
  
  


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****

“I dunno what the heck this is…” Sturges squinted at the object in his hands. “Ya say it came from a man’s head?”

“Yeah… I think he cut it out himself.” Jay leaned against the kitchen counter. “He was pretty freaked out about those guys getting it.”

Sturges turned the chip over a few times as he contemplated it. “Could be a Synth component. Though, I’m not so sure why anyone would want the dang thing so bad.” He handed it back to Jayke with a shrug, “You could talk to Tinker Tom about it. Synths are sorta his bag.” 

“You think he was a Synth?” Jay furrowed his brow at the chip.

“Sounds like it. A courser, maybe.” Sturges reached for a beer on the counter and popped the top off casually. 

Jay’s mom lifted her head from her hands and stared. “A courser? Those are a myth… Aren’t they?”

“Afraid not.” He took a swig of the beer then pointed the mouth of the bottle toward Jayke’s hands. “They are quite real and all the stories ya heard are most likely true.” 

“That’s unsettling…” Jay murmured as he stuffed the chip in a pocket and snatched up a bottle from the counter.

“J.C.!” Mom glared.

“A man died in my hands a couple days ago and people ransacked the inn… I think I’m entitled to a drink.” He glared right back and popped the top off the bottle defiantly.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

“Aw no way!” Tom grinned like a lunatic at the chip. “This is amazing! How’d you get this?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Jay shook his head and crossed his arms. “Tell me what’s so cool about it.”

“What’s _\--not--_ cool about it?” He lowered his hands and a look of confusion crossed his face for a moment. “It’s a component… from a Courser! I've been trying to get one of these for quite some time...”

“Uh-huh.” Jay rolled his eyes. “Could you be a little more useful?”

Tinker Tom narrowed his eyes a little and frowned. “I could be. Give me a little time to check it out.”

“Right.” Jayke sighed and pushed away from the wall he was leaning against. “I’ll just go sit with my thumb up my ass and wait for you to get back to me.”

“That’d be great, thanks.” Tom gave a little mock-salute with two fingers and turned to walk away, leaving Jay scowling behind him.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Jayke pushed himself away from the alley wall when he saw Tom approaching, grinning like he’d just discovered a hidden stash of a million caps.

“Got the lowdown on your chip.” His smile grew even wider somehow. 

“Yeah?” Jay eyed him a little skeptically.

“Yep. Coursers use it to teleport back and forth from the Institute.” He puffed his chest out slightly.

“That’s… Amazing…” Jayke shook his head and stared at the ground in thought. 

_The Institute._ A mythical place. People have been searching for it for years and Jay had always dismissed their talk. It couldn’t be found, if it was even real to begin with. But all those Synths were coming from somewhere. And the stories about Coursers popping in and out and kidnapping people without a trace…

A teleporter. Of course! That really _was_ amazing. Mind-boggling. 

“If they use it like a teleporter…” Jay furrowed his brow, “Why didn’t he just _teleporter_ right the fuck away from those guys who were after him?”

Tom’s smile faded only a fraction, “The one in his head… It was damaged.”

“So it’s useless then?” 

“Not entirely.” Tom held up a rolled paper and tapped it against Jay’s chest. “Based on the component, I was able to draw up some schematics. I think it can be replicated.” A smirk. “Still wondering what’s so cool about it?”

“Wow… That’s impressive!” Jayke reached out to grab the papers and Tom pulled them away.

“Thank you.” 

Jay scowled, “I don’t like that look on your face… What do you want?”

“Here’s the deal,” He poked the end of the roll against Jayke’s chest, “I give you these schematics and a shopping list, and I keep the component.”

Jay sighed, “Whatever. Why would I even care?”

“You know you want ‘em, this is right up your alley.” He grinned, “You’d kill to build something like this. And you have the means. I sure could use your help.” He cocked a questioning eyebrow.

“So, I’d be doing you a favor.” Jay crossed his arms stubbornly.

“C’mon, kid… This is huge.” He spread his hands for emphasis, “It’s the Institute! Think of what’s inside that place! Think of your mother and the--”

Jayke let out a pointed sigh that was very nearly a growl. 

Tom took a breath and shook his head. “How ‘bout I just let you hold onto these for a while… If you don’t want to, then go ahead and burn ‘em.” He handed them over with a little smile. “And if you decide to… You know where to find me.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Of course he wanted to build a teleporter! Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to if they could? Jay knew Tom handed him a baited hook… But he just couldn’t resist. At least he wasn’t walking into the game blind. He’d ask for caps. When it was all said and done, Jayke would get what he could from Tom and his weird Railroad friends. For his mother.

When those people ransacked the inn, they destroyed a lot of stuff. They had to close the place to fix it up again and now they needed a new oven, refrigerator, several dishes and not to mention all the bottles broken and food wasted. 

Jay got pissed off all over again as he picked through a trash heap, tossing scrap angrily into the street. 

“Watch it!” Sturges stood from the heap of scrap behind Jayke.

Jay sighed and sat down on the asphalt. “How the hell am I supposed to find a military circuit board and a sensor module, let alone a damn biometric scanner?” 

“One step at a time. Focus on the stuff you can get.” He stepped up beside him and held up some copper wiring with a smile. “You’re good at this scrounging and scraping stuff, you’ll find it.” 

Jay suddenly froze and stared past Sturges at movement behind a group of vehicles down the road. 

He stood slowly and pulled his pistol from the back of his pants, “I don’t think we’re alone…”

Sturges drew his own weapon as he turned to see a couple ferals ambling from around the backside of a bus. 

Jay took aim and Sturges put a hand out and whispered, “They haven't seen us, let’s just hightail it outta here.”

“Shit, I could pop ‘em both, no problem.” 

“There could be more… Let’s just go.” He took a couple slow steps backward.

“There’s only two.” Jayke ignored the man’s warning and fired anyway.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

“Shit! I’m out.” Jay crouched down behind half of a brick wall, breathing heavily, and glared at his gun as if it was the cause of all his current problems.

“There’s _only two_ …” Sturges spoke mockingly as he pressed himself up against the taller portion of the wall.

“There _was_ only two… Behind the bus.” The rest had come out of the woodwork of a nearby building and other vehicles down a side street. Damn things were like radroaches; Where there’s one, there’s about ten more. In this case, there was a good twenty or so running after them.

One of the ferals paused and turned, then ran toward the wall, gaining the attention of the rest.

“Time to go!” Sturges grabbed Jayke by the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him behind as he took off running again. 

He pointed to a walled off building and they turned down the street, rounding the corner of the opening of the garrison. 

A bright flash of laser fire zipped past Jay’s head and he ducked down, throwing his hands in the air. “Don’t shoot!” His eyes widened as he came face to face with a large suit of power armor standing just ten feet away.

“Stand down.” The man in the power armor held up a large metal fist to some men and women behind him.

“I almost shot you, kid!” An irritated man in orange motioned angrily, “Why the hell are you--”

“Ferals.” Sturges pointed back out the wall as he worked to catch his breath. “Whole mess of ‘em…”

“Get back!” The deep tinny voice from the armor commanded.

Jay ducked down behind the suit and Sturges made for the stairwell the rest of the men and women stood on. The first ferals appeared in the opening of the wall and were met with several rounds of laser fire. Then the rest of the things started piling in. Jayke took several steps backwards behind the armored man, glancing over his shoulder at the others.

“Give me a weapon… I can help.” He held a hand out to the group. 

They were reluctant for a moment until a woman tossed him a laser pistol and continued firing on ferals as they scrambled into their garrison. 

Jayke fumbled with the pistol for a minute before he figured out how it worked. The first few shots were terrible, then he figured that out, too. He used the huge armored man as a shield and fired from around the man’s sides, killing several ferals from his up close and personal position. 

They started to get overwhelmed and a feral got a little close, swiping a hand at Jay from one side of the armored man. It caught his jacket, hooked fingers into his pocket, and tore it just before the metal clad man smashed its head with a large steel fist.

And that was the last of them. 

Jayke turned the pistol over in his hands then glanced over at all the bodies littering the ground. Laser pistols, he decided, were really fucking cool. His heart was pounding in his chest and he just stood in one spot as the people moved around him. He was oblivious to the things they said. Jay felt… _Exhilarated!_ He’d always loved chasing thrills, but this had been over the top. 

He suddenly realized someone was talking to him.

“Are you alright?”

Jayke blinked stupidly up at the metal man. “Uh… Yeah.” he glanced down at himself to make sure he wasn’t hurt and noticed his ripped pocket. Wrinkling his nose, he reached down and plucked up the schematics from the ground. They been folded up tightly in that pocket… And landed in a puddle of, what was once, feral head. He gingerly unfolded the torn and bloody mess of paper as Sturges peered over his shoulder.

“Well, there goes that.”

Jay shrugged and tore the paper in half. “It’s alright. I got it.” He had memorized everything the first night he had the schematics. His memory for such things had always astounded his mom, though he had always passed it off as nothing special.

As soon as he dropped the halves on the ground, one of the men bent down and plucked it up, squinting at the mess. 

“What is this?”

“None of your business.” Jay snatched it out of his hand and glared. 

“We just saved your ungrateful ass, show some respect.” He glared right back. 

“Rhys. That’s enough.” He took his helmet off and leveled his gaze down at the other man. 

He turned his attention to Jayke and gave a nod, “You handled yourself well. My thanks.”

“Your thanks?! He’s the one who brought those things in here!” Rhys motioned angrily to the feral bodies.

“I said that’s enough. Get back inside.” 

Rhys snorted a sigh, turned on his heel and stalked off into the building. Jayke couldn’t help flashing a smirk after him. 

“I’m Paladin Danse, Brotherhood of Steel.” He gave a proud little half smile then swept a hand, “This is my team...”

Jay narrowed his eyes a little at the man and didn’t even hear the introductions. Brotherhood of Steel. His father had chosen those guys over him and his mom so many years ago and now Jayke held a bitterness toward the lot of them which he couldn’t quite explain or truly justify. 

“I’m Sturges and this here’s Jay.” He smiled and held a hand out to shake, “thanks for the help, much appreciated.”

Danse gave his hand one firm shake and nodded. “Meet me in the Police Station. We can give you some food, water, resupply you and send you on your way.” He turned without another word.

Jay pulled a flip lighter from his pocket and burned the torn paper in his hand then dropped it onto the other half. He watched them burn and spoke quietly, “I’m not going in there.”

“Yeah, you are.” Sturges turned to follow behind the soldiers. “We could use some more ammo, for starters…”  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

One of the soldiers handed Jay a carton of water as she smiled, “you’d make a good soldier with some training.”

He twisted the top off and ignored her comment. That was the last thing he’d want to do… Join the Brotherhood of Steel and leave his mom just like his father did. _Fuck those guys._ They took his father away. 

“That kid couldn’t cut it as one of us, Haylen.” Rhys crossed his arms and leaned back on a desk.

She raised an eyebrow at the man, “And why not? As I recall, you’ve been a problem child up until--”

“That’s different.” Rhys glared as the woman seemed to have touched a topic he didn’t like. “What were you even doing out here, kid?” He changed the subject.

“First of all,” Jay tightened the lid back on the water, “Quit calling me kid. And second…” He narrowed his eyes, “none of your fucking business.”

Rhys pushed away from the desk, took two angry strides toward Jay and Danse stopped him, pressing a large metal clad hand to the man’s chest. 

Sturges set his hands on Jayke’s shoulders and pulled him back. “Excuse us a moment.”

He ushered Jay through a doorway and whispered, “how about you don’t anger the goddamn soldiers?”

“I’m not afraid of that guy,” Jay said through clenched teeth.

“You have more balls than brains. Anyone ever tell you to pick your battles?” 

“Maybe someone would have taught me that at some point... If he woulda stuck around a while.” Jay crossed his arms tight.

Sturges straightened up and tapped a finger against Jay’s shoulder. “That man out there is right to call you kid. You’re acting like a child and you could do well to learn some respect.” He spoke a little louder, unconcerned if the soldiers heard or not, “these guys could teach you a thing or two.”

“These guys can eat my--”

He grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him back around the corner. He pushed him in front of Danse and set his hands on Jayke’s shoulders from behind. “We’re trying to gather scrap so we can build a gateway to the Institute.”

“Sturges!” Jay turned his head and glared.

Danse perked up, “The Institute…” He fell silent for some time in contemplation. Finally, he lifted his chin and spoke in a deep stern voice, “You will tell me what you know. We’ll be confiscating whatever documents you have.”

Jay elbowed Sturges and tried to glare even harder, which was impossible at this point. “Why’d you fucking tell them that! You can’t trust these guys!”

“Everything we had was on those papers.” Sturges cocked his chin toward the door.

“Then you are of no real use to us.” Danse absently ran a thumb under the strap of his rifle. 

_Was that a threat or was he just adjusting the weapon?_

Jay took a step back toward the door. “Exactly. So we’ll just go…”

“The kid has an eidetic memory.” Sturges pat Jay on the shoulder.

Danse pointed toward Haylen, “get him some paper and--”

“How about this…” Sturges held a hand up toward Danse, “Jay will build the thing for you… So long as you take him in.”

The Paladin narrowed his eyes. “How about he writes down everything he knows and returns home.”

“I don’t know shit.” Jayke boldly glared up at the armored man.

Sturges flashed a little smirk at Danse. 

“Why would you want to come with us?” Danse shook his head and spread his hands.

“I don’t!” Jay snorted.

“Because,” Sturges sighed, “he’s your typical angry teen, but he has a lot of potential. Jay still has a chance to be a decent man… He just needs some encouragement.” He nudged him closer to Danse and added with a smile, “in the form of blood, sweat and tears.”

The Paladin looked Jayke up and down then gave a small nod. “Very well.”

“You can’t be fucking serious! I’m not going to--”

“He’ll cooperate.” Sturges looked at Jayke with a hint of warning in his tone. “This’ll be good for you... Give it a chance.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Not even five full minutes after Sturges left the police station, Danse stepped up close to Jay and lined him out.

“From this moment forward, I'm granting you the rank of Initiate. You fall in line, you stay in line. I give you an order, and you follow it.”

“Fuck that, I’m--”

“You will refrain from using vulgar language.” 

Jayke rolled his eyes.

“And you will show all Brotherhood soldiers the utmost respect and courtesy at all times.”

Jay glared up at the Paladin while the man stood over him with his arms folded sternly. 

_Fuck all this_ … Jayke turned to leave and Rhys stepped between him and the door.

“You aren’t going anywhere.” The soldier flashed a grin. 

“You can’t make me stay.” Jay reached a hand out to push the man away and he grabbed him by the wrist, spun him around and pushed him back toward Danse.

“On the contrary.” Rhys remained blocking the exit. 

Jayke suddenly came to the realization that he wasn’t so much a willing guest as he was a captive.  
  


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	3. Polishing

  
  
  
  
  


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****

Jay sat on the steps of the Police Station, sulking silently to himself, in the shadow of the Paladin as they gathered together to leave.

He buried his face in his arms and grumbled quietly. He wanted to escape now more than ever. How could Sturges do this to him?! What would his mom think? There was no way she’d be happy about the whole situation. 

He felt something nudge against his arm and he jerked his head up. He was met by a furry face and a tentative lick to the cheek. Jay blinked stupidly at the dog for a moment then reached out to pet it.

“Hey… Dog.” He smiled and scratched behind the animal’s ears.

Haylen stepped up and touched the dog on the shoulder and it sat. “Sorry if he was bothering you.” She smiled, “this is Dogmeat, he’s special forces recon.”

“He’s not bothering me.” Jay found himself smiling a little. “I like dogs.”

She laughed lightly, “Well, he seems to like you, too.”

“Does he know any tricks?” Jay held a hand out and the dog put a paw in it.

“Tricks?” Danse furrowed his brow down at them. 

Jayke stood up and motioned to the animal, “yeah, tricks. You know... Like sit up, roll over… That stuff.”

Haylen laughed as Danse scowled. “Useless pageantry. This K-9 is trained to sniff out IEDs, landmines, attack, search and rescue; He does not pander to civilian whims.” He glanced at the dog with a look of fondness that he tried to hide. “He may have four legs, but Dogmeat is a Brotherhood soldier.”

Jay patted the dog’s head, “That’s cool.” He leaned closer to the animal and lowered his voice, “I’ll teach you some tricks.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Danse made Jayke carry a pack loaded with crap that weighed nearly half as much as Jay. When he slowed down along the way, other soldiers around him would get a little frustrated. Rhys pushed him forward more than once.

All the soldiers were carrying packs that were even bigger than his own and it irritated Jayke.

He was irritated at himself, mostly. If they could do it, why shouldn’t he be able to? They were used to it, that’s why. It was unfair that he had to carry anything. He thought about just dropping the pack, but then he’d really look childish. Rhys would surely have something to say about it if he dropped his things and threw a tantrum like a five year old.

Hours into the march through ruined city buildings to the outskirts of town, Jay spoke up to Danse in the front, “I have to take a piss.”

The Paladin held up a fist and the whole group came to a halt. He scanned the area then motioned to a cluster of shrubs and rocks by the side of the road. “We can take a quick break here before continuing to the extraction point.” 

The soldiers moved to the rocks and Jay immediately let his pack fall and rubbed at a tender shoulder. 

Danse motioned in a direction with his rifle and spoke curtly to Jay, “Hit the treeline.”

Jayke frowned at the wide open landscape littered with big rocks and zero actual trees. “What _treeline?!_ ”

One of the soldiers, Knight Brach, chuckled and shook his head, “Not an actual treeline, kid. Just go find a spot to piss.”

He rounded a group of large rocks some distance from the others and glared up over a boulder at the lot of them. Jayke didn’t want to carry that fucking pack anymore or be laughed at by those soldiers or be told what to do. 

He was done. 

Jayke adjusted his pants and gave the group one more long distance look of contempt before turning from them and running. 

He didn’t get far before he was shoved down from behind, face first into the dirt. 

“I thought we were friends…” Jay groaned at the dog standing on his back pinning him down as the others approached.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

“Pop smoke.” Danse motioned to Knight Sergeant Dawes.

Jay dropped his pack again and crossed his arms stubbornly as he watched the man. Then Jay’s interest was suddenly piqued a little as the smoke signal popped and was tossed into a clearing. That was kinda cool. 

Danse eyed Jay for a moment then took a second signal from Rhys. He handed it to Jayke with the smallest hint of a smile, “Go ahead.”

“He doesn’t know how.” Rhys grumbled.

Jay turned the thing over in his hands. There were printed directions right on it. “It’s not rocket science.” He popped it and tossed it a little ways off from the first, staring steadily at Rhys the entire time, “Although, even if it were rocket science, I’m sure I could figure it out easily.” Jayke was tired of these guys treating him like an idiot.

At least Danse had some faith in him and treated him like a capable adult.

As much as Jayke was trying to portray some sense of being grown up and serious, the second the vertibirds landed, Jay lost his shit. 

He was the first one to climb up into one, all previous thoughts of running vanished as he stared wide-eyed at the instrument panel in wonder.

Knight Keane pulled Jay from his excitement. “Stop eye-fucking the bird and secure your pack, newbie.”

He… Forgot his pack outside. Jay felt a little stupid for that. Thankfully, Rhys had gotten into the other aircraft and he wasn’t there to gloat.

Danse climbed in and handed him the pack without a word, then promptly showed him how to secure it. The Paladin was overflowing with patience and understanding, so it seemed.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Okay… So the Prydwen was really fucking awesome. Jay leaned against the railing of the flight deck and peered down at the airport far below. Danse pulled him back by his pack and nudged him on down the walkway.

“This is cool!” Jay couldn’t help smiling up at the man.

“Yes, the Prydwen is quite an amazing work of mechanical engineering.” Even behind the helmet, Jay could hear absolute pride filling the Paladin’s voice.

Jayke attempted to look back over his shoulder as he was ushered into the door behind the rest of the team. “How does it stay up? How fast does it go? Can I check out the engines on this thing? They gotta be pretty impressive for--” 

“That’s classified information.” Danse spoke with the strict humorless tone Jayke was almost starting to get used to.

The man was no fun.

Haylen winked at Jay before climbing up the ladder inside, “maybe you’ll get to find out if you become a Knight.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Jay was awestruck by the things he saw inside, though he really tried not to be impressed by the soldiers walking around in armor, the groups of friends laughing together in the dining area, soldiers working on weapons, and the power armor deck.

The group of them made their way to the back and Jayke was introduced to Proctor Teagan. They unloaded their packs as the man instructed them where to place everything. He was very specific. The other soldiers seemed to know what they were doing, but Jay had no clue. He didn’t even know what was in his pack. 

Teagan corrected him, again, on where to place an item and Jayke started to get frustrated and purposely dropped a metal part on the floor. 

“Listen, kid, I don’t have a lot of patience for this.” Teagan sighed. “You’re going to have to learn to follow orders real quick around here.”

“Yeah, apparently I need to learn a lot of shit.” Jayke glared up at him.

“Language.” Danse picked up the dropped part and set it on a table to be added to the inventory. 

“Those other Knights cuss all the time!” He huffed… Childishly. 

“First of all, _kid,_ you aren’t a Knight.” Rhys shook his head. “Second, you need to learn respect before any of that will ever happen.”

“How about you show _me_ some respect and quit calling me kid.” 

“I’ll quit calling you kid when you stop acting like one. That’s how respect works… You gotta earn it.” Rhys waved a dismissive hand at him and left the storeroom behind the others.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Speaking of respect, Jayke got an earful from Danse as they made their way back across the ship.

“You will show the Elder the utmost respect. You will not roll your eyes, use vulgar language or sigh in his presence.” The Paladin narrowed his eyes as he reached an all new level of seriousness. “You will address him as Sir. You will speak only when spoken to and answer all questions promptly and with brevity.” He paused at the top of the stairs and gave Jay a look that actually sent a chill right down his spine. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Sir.” The words spilled from his throat, pulled out by the Paladin’s sharp-eyed gaze.

The two of them entered the command deck and Jayke fidgeted for a moment trying to figure out what to do with his hands. He glanced over at Danse and attempted to mimic his stance, clasping his hands behind his back and parting his feet a bit. 

Then the Elder turned to face them and Jay lost a little composure. The Elder was… _So young!_ He’d been expecting a gruff old man, and even though this guy had a full beard, he couldn’t have been much older than Jayke.

“Paladin.” The Elder gave a curt nod then turned his attention to Jay.

Even though he was young, the look in the man’s eyes made Jayke’s blood run cold. 

“Sir.” Danse took a breath then motioned with a hand, “this is Jay. He has shown an interest in joining our ranks and proved himself competent while helping us at Cambridge with a feral situation. I granted him the rank of Initiate based on a show of great potential.” He paused and glanced at Jayke for a moment. “Furthermore, this young man possesses knowledge of something which could aid us in breaching the Institute.”

“I can build a teleporter.” Jay forgot himself as he stood in front of the imposing Elder. He glanced over to Danse then back and cleared his throat, “Sir.”

The Elder contemplated Jay silently for some time before speaking up, “Why do you want to join the Brotherhood of Steel?”

“Because I…” He looked down at his feet then over to Danse. He _didn’t_ want to join. Did he? He had been coerced. He was forced. He was basically held captive after Sturges gave him away. 

And then something Rhys had said, of all people, struck him. 

_Earn respect. Stop acting like a kid._

Jay stood up straight, “Personal responsibility, Sir.” 

It was an odd sort of answer, but the Elder cracked a little smile and gave a nod. It was as though the man had just read his entire life story like a book and had him completely pegged right from that moment. 

“You vouch for this Initiate, Paladin?”

“Absolutely.” Danse smiled at Jay. “I have no doubt that he will make a great soldier. One of the best.”

“That’s quite an endorsement.” The Elder cocked an eyebrow at Jay. “Paladin Danse is one of my best men and he doesn’t give such high recommendations lightly.” He swept a hand out to Jayke as he spoke to Danse, “I entrust this Initiate to your care. You will sponsor him to the best of your ability and you will be fully responsible for all his actions henceforth.”

“Yes, Sir. We won’t let you down.” Danse gave a sharp nod.

“I expect you won’t.”

Jay blinked up at the Paladin in surprise for a moment. Danse had willingly taken responsibility for him and anything he might do, even after dealing with him for the past day. After all the backtalk, cussing, arguments and attempts to run away… This man had faith in him for some reason Jayke just couldn’t see.

_No pressure or anything._

“I’d like to discuss this teleporter you can build.” The Elder put a hand up to stop Jayke from talking. “Later.” He gave a little smile, “I would like you to take some time and familiarize yourself with the Prydwen and her crew.”

“Yes, Sir…” Jay said quietly. He wasn’t too sure about meeting other people; Knowing Rhys was bad enough and Teagan wasn’t the most fun guy he’d ever met, either.

“Once you have acquired a uniform and made yourself more comfortable, report to Lancer Captain Kells for your first assignment.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Cade wasn’t so bad. Quinlan was… Something else. Jayke wasn’t sure how to think of that man, but his cat was cool. Jay had met Kells briefly and the man asked a bunch of questions that made him feel like he was being interrogated and if he answered wrong he might be thrown off the flight deck.

Ingram, however... Jayke liked her immediately. He had been interested in everything she said and did and Danse had to pull him off the power armor deck by his arm. 

They had to go to Teagan for a uniform. Twice they had to talk to the man; Once for measurements and then back again after a little kid Squire brought the stuff up from the airport below. After Jay put on the fatigues he was ordered to wear, which happened to be similar to what the little kids wore, he was more eager to prove something of himself. He wanted to wear a jumpsuit and use power armor, not wear little Squire kid outfits. 

He made his way to the flight command deck, excited to be able to do something meaningful. Ride in a vertibird again. Maybe use that big-ass gatling gun mounted in the doorways of the things. _That’d be so fucking awesome!_

Jayke rubbed his hands together and grinned up at Lancer Captain Kells. “So what’s my first mission?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Eager are we?” He gave a little half smile and leaned forward closer to Jay. “Your first mission, _Initiate,_ is to report to the Power Armor deck with Paladin Danse…” Kells paused for a moment to take in Jay’s excitement. “And spit shine steel until I can see my beautiful face smiling back at me from every bolt, hinge and inch of plating.”

“Are you serious?!” Jay dropped his hands and rolled his eyes. 

“Like a bullet to the head.” His smile vanished and he narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Dismissed.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Jay learned all about power armor as he scraped rust from around bolts and welding, polished plating, and touched up paint. It might have been cool, if he didn’t have to clean the armor for hours on end. For several days. With Danse going over the same parts and functions about three hundred times.

How was that man capable of maintaining his high level of enthusiasm for power armor after breaking down the components mechanically to Jayke for so many endless hours?!

Jay did get breaks from armor cleaning, every so often. After mealtimes, he was sometimes made to clean up with the squires. He had to do laundry. Run errands around the Pryd for people. List inventory with Teagan. Feed Quinlan’s cat... 

He found himself cleaning Neriah’s mole rat cage at one point because he cussed at the Elder and that was about the time Jayke started to seriously contemplate jumping off the Prydwen to get away. He probably would have ran days ago… If he weren’t trapped so high up in the air.

_One day, Jay did jump off the Pryd..._  
  


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	4. Learning

  
  
  
  
  


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****

Danse led Jayke down the flight deck, both of them fully outfitted in, _incredibly shiny,_ power armor.

“You’ve taken to moving through the Prydwen in your armor, but we’ll go over more basics at the airport proper.” The Paladin stopped at an unoccupied vertibird anchor and motioned down at the ground beyond the open section of railing.

“It’s about time I actually get to use the fucking thing.” 

“Language.” Danse warned. Again. For about the millionth time now. 

“Some soldiers hesitate the first time…” Danse tapped his hand on the corner of the railing, “Which is completely understandable. If you need a moment to--”

Jayke didn’t hesitate. He stepped right past the Paladin and jumped off the Pryd without a second thought.

When Danse landed beside him with a loud thud, Jay hit the Paladin’s chest plate roughly with the back of his hand. “That was awesome! Gotta do that from higher up next time!”

Danse removed his helmet and Jay thought the Paladin was going to reprimand him for doing something wrong… But instead the man laughed.

“What?”

Danse shook his head, “Nothing… You just…” A look of distant sorrow suddenly flooded his features and he put his helmet back on to hide it. “You remind me of an old friend. You look just like him. Act a lot like him. Brings back memories.” He turned toward the tarmac without another word.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

The following weeks held mixed feelings of wanting to stay and wanting to leave. While power armor and combat training was fun, Danse mixed in an overwhelming amount of PT that made Jayke wish he was back on the Pryd polishing armor.

Jay had to do PT with other Knights. Men and women who had been training for years. 

They would constantly lap him while running around the airport. They could do about a million push-ups. Jumping jacks. Pull-ups. Mountain climbers. And there was an obstacle course as icing on the cake. 

Jayke wanted to give up. In fact, he had tried to quit a few times… Danse wouldn’t let him. 

At first he had been overwhelmed by everything and he refused to even try the obstacle course, but the Paladin made him do it… and ran it right behind him every step of the way until he finished. What’s more, the other soldiers encouraged him through the entire thing. Even Rhys gave a nod of approval, though a constant scowl remained on his face. Jay figured that was as close to appreciation as he’d ever get from the man.

And that made him want to work harder. Be better. Little by little he got to a point that he could almost keep up with the others. Danse was always right behind him. Every time.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

“Reconnaissance is just as important as anything else.” Danse climbed into the vertibird after Jay.

“Sounds pretty boring.” He plopped down on the bench in back.

“It _is_ boring.” The Lancer up front spoke casually as she flicked a switch.

Danse glared over his shoulder at her, “Nonetheless…” He looked down at Jayke, “It is vital.”

The aircraft dropped down from the dock and Danse continued, “while on recon, one of our primary goals is to gather technical documents and items as we come across them. I may be able to find the biometric scanner you require.”

“What about me?” Jay frowned.

“You are to remain in the aircraft.” Danse pointed down sternly with one finger.

Jay bit his tongue to keep from arguing as he glanced out the open door at the ground below. 

He rather liked riding in the vertibirds. When he rode his bike over a long strip of road or hard packed dirt, he reveled in the feeling of flying. When he jumped the bike off inclines, it was even better. 

“How high can this thing go?” 

Danse hesitated to reply, but the Lancer chimed in happily, “around twenty-five thousand feet on a good day.”

The Paladin narrowed his eyes at her. “He doesn’t need to know--”

“How fast can it go?” Jay stood up and pushed past Danse to sit in the co-pilot’s seat.

She chuckled, “I like this kid!”

“Of course you do.” Danse crossed his arms over his chest.

After a moment of hesitation, Jayke smiled hopefully, “can I…?”

“Sure!” The Lancer grinned.

“Absolutely not.” Danse scowled.

“Awe, c’mon, Danny. Let the boy have some fun.” She gave a mock pout.

Danse glared the the both of them in turn. “He’s untrained.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “We were all untrained at one point in time.” 

He couldn’t argue with that. 

The two of them stared hopefully at the Paladin until he let out a defeated sigh and dropped his arms. “Fine. But just for a few minutes. And you will not test speed limits and height ceilings.” He flashed a warning glare. It was quite fatherly. 

The look on the Lancer’s face told Jay that they would most definitely be testing speed limits and height ceilings, regardless.

She gave a smug grin then turned to Jayke. “So, hey… My name’s Lucky and I’ll be your flight instructor today…”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

“Finally!” Jay grinned up at Danse and tossed a rag on the tool box next to the power armor he had been cleaning.

“This isn’t a game, there’s very real danger involved. Never underestimate your enemy.” The Paladin scowled down at him. “That being said, I believe you’re ready for the mission.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Jayke tried his best to put on his serious face, but the excitement bled through. “Can I wear some armor?”

“You will be outfitted accordingly.”

“Sweet!” Jay rubbed his hands together.

Danse tried his best to hide a smile as he worked to provide an air of decorum.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

“Are you serious?” Jayke climbed up in the vertibird and closed his fingers around the gatling gun. “I get to use it?” Behind his power armor helmet, his smile couldn’t have gotten any bigger.

“We have intel on a behemoth patrolling the grounds around Fort Strong.” Danse climbed in after him. “We will take him out from above before we put boots to dirt.” 

“Got it.” Jay swiveled the gun around as the bird dropped from the Pryd.

“Remember, your primary objective is the behemoth. However, if you can take out any of the super mutants as well, that would be to our advantage.” Danse watched him get used to the gatling gun’s range of motion. “Ready?”

“Absofreakinglutely!” Jayke cleared his throat and put some seriousness into his voice, “Yes, Sir.” 

_Show some decorum._

Lancer Lucci pointed ahead as she spoke to the second aircraft, “This is Lima Foxtrot zero-seven, I have a visual on the behemoth at my two o’clock, over.”

Jay’s hands tightened around the gatling gun as his heart started to race.

“Roger that, zero-seven. In position, out.” The other pilot replied loud and clear in Jayke’s ear.

“Execute.” Danse placed a hand on the back of the seat in front of him.

Lucky laughed over her shoulder at Jay, “Let’s get kinetic!”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

The two vertibirds took passes at the behemoth while their gunners put several rounds into it. Mutants started firing up at the aircraft and Jay flinched a couple times as rounds pinged off the metal near him and red flashes of laser fire came too close for comfort. But he continued loading that big ugly brute full of gatling rounds, never faltering.

It was exhilarating when the beast finally dropped to its knees and fell face first into the dirt. He couldn’t help the cheer of excitement that he let loose. 

The birds circled around and hovered to drop their soldiers and Jayke watched Danse step to the side of the aircraft to jump. Jay wanted to run with the others on the ground. He nearly pouted behind his helmet. They were going to leave him behind in the vertibird again.

The Paladin hesitated in the door and turned to face him. “Let’s move out, soldier.” He unhooked a rifle from the wall and handed it to Jay before jumping from the bird.

Lucky smiled over her shoulder, “Give ‘em hell, kid.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

When Jay hit the ground, anxiety flooded through his body, but it started to subside the moment Danse stepped up next to him. The man didn’t have to say a word, his presence was reassuring. Danse’s steadfast confidence made Jayke feel safe, in a way. He had confidence in Jay and his ability and Jayke was determined not to let the Paladin down.

The anxiety he felt almost completely disappeared as his brothers joined them and the group of five stormed down the road toward the fort proper. 

_His brothers._

Jayke had always relied on himself in the past. Being surrounded by others who had his back was new and unusual… But he found that he liked it. 

As they moved, soldiers took shots for those reloading, they called out targets to one another, and stepped up the second anyone needed help. 

They cleared the Fort without a hitch and Jay was even able to scrounge a military-grade circuit board as well as a sensor module. Bonus.

It had been a good day… But the absolute cherry on top was when they arrived back on the Pryd.

Danse stepped out of his power armor and smiled down at Jay. “Outstanding work, soldier.” He put a hand on Jayke’s shoulder. “You showed exemplary skill today and I’m proud to be your sponsor.”

Jay took a step forward and stopped himself short of hugging the Paladin. “Thank you, Sir.” His chest felt tight. What was that? Pride? That was new. He felt good -- no... He felt _absolutely elated_ in that moment.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Danse handed Jay a wrench and held a section of metal from the opposite side as he threaded a bolt through the hole. The two of them had been working on the teleporter nonstop for about a week out at an old drive in movie theater where they had all the space they required.

Danse and his team, including Jayke, had cleared the area and set up a temporary camp in the old diner where they lived together for the time. Knights stood watch and patrolled the area while Jay and Danse worked, breaking only for meals and sleep. The Paladin was adamant about finishing quickly and he worked Jayke ragged.

Every so often, Lucky and other soldiers would drop off supplies and bits of scrap Jay discovered he needed more of while building. In his time spent with the Brotherhood, they’d collected so much junk, which annoyed many of the Knights.

One night, as they grew closer to completion, Jay couldn’t sleep and he snuck off to the back side of the big screen to where he had one of his bikes stashed. 

Sneaking anywhere while vigilant soldiers stood watch was damn near impossible, however, and Danse caught him pretty much immediately. 

“What are you doing?” The Paladin came up behind him.

“Shi-- Crap! Sir!” Jay startled then glanced around the darkness. “What?” 

“What are you doing out here?” He repeated quietly.

“I’m not running away…” 

“I know.” He gave a curt nod and stepped closer, peering around Jay at his bike.

Jayke looked back at it for a moment then rubbed the back of his head. “I um… fixed up some bikes and… You know.” He motioned to the vehicle and gave a shrug, “I liked to get away… From stuff.”

An understanding nod. “Wherever you go, there you are.”

Jay blinked up at the man for a moment. That was oddly profound and a little strange coming from Danse. 

The Paladin gave a little smile, “I was young once.”

“Huh.” Jayke grinned, “that’s hard to believe. I thought you were manufactured from some sort of Paladin assembly line.”

“Amusing.” He replied dryly.

“So… Why did you join the Brotherhood, anyway?” Jayke sat sideways on the bike’s seat.

Danse hesitated for a moment before giving a little head shake, “I was a kid out in the Capital selling scrap…” He stared down at the ground and his voice softened, “My friend… He talked me into joining. We were young, as I said, and had nothing to lose.” 

“Is your friend still a soldier? Do I know him?” 

The Paladin shook his head solemnly. “As it would turn out, we did have something to lose.” He glanced out over the moonlit horizon. “He lost his life and I lost my best friend.”

Jay didn’t know what to say. Soldiers died every day, _people_ died every day, but it was never easy. Jayke often wondered about his father and what became of him. Was he still out in the Capital with the Brotherhood? Did he go out west with that division? Maybe he quit the Brotherhood altogether and started a new life somewhere. Or maybe he died. 

It didn’t matter anymore. Jay didn’t even know him beyond his occasional visits. The thing that bugged him the most was that the man had left him and his mother to join the Brotherhood… But over the past month, Jayke’s anger had vanished. 

_He forgave the man._

Danse helped Jay discover more of himself and his potential. He was happy. Free. 

“You should try and get some rest.” Danse spoke up.

“Yeah.” Jayke slid off the seat of the bike and trailed his fingers over the fuel tank. He didn’t need to escape any more. 

He stepped up to Danse and smiled… Then gave him a tight hug.  
  


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	5. Falling

  
  
  
  
  


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****

Maxson and a few other soldiers stood around the completed teleporter as Jayke grinned triumphantly.

“Don’t cut the cake just yet.” Ingram scowled, “we don’t even know if it works.”

“It works.” Jay crossed his arms, smile never fading.

“You are confident in your ability?” The Elder raised an eyebrow at him.

“Absolutely.” Jayke nodded… Then hesitated a moment. He was pretty confident, but the thing remained untested. 

“Unless you end up popping into solid rock.” Lucky spoke absently.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Maxson flashed her a little glare then turned back to Jay. “As you can imagine,” He waved a hand at the thing, “I’m hesitant to risk the lives of my soldiers.”

“I’ll go first,” Jay assured. The Elder was rightfully wary of the contraption.

“Your bravery in the face of the unknown exemplifies what it means to be part of the Brotherhood.” Maxson placed a hand on Jay’s shoulder. 

“Thank you, Sir.” 

Jayke showed Ingram how to work the panel and, as he did so, he noticed Rhys and Knight Sergeant Dawes speaking heatedly with Danse off in the distance. They appeared to be arguing about something in fervent whispers. 

Stepping up onto the platform, Jay grinned down at the group of soldiers gathered around. “Lab rat standing by.”

Danse stepped up beside him and gave a nod to Maxson. “I’m going in, as well.”

“You sure?” Jayke eyed the man at his side. “We could appear in the ocean… Inside out.”

“I have the utmost faith and confidence in you.” He smiled. 

“Thank you, Danse.” Jay fought the urge to hug him. “For everything.” 

“Ready?” Ingram brought Jay out of his emotional stupor.

“Affirmative.” Danse nodded.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Jay shrugged.

“Keep your objectives in mind.” Maxson took a step back from the platform. “Remain vigilant at all times, your safety comes first.” He put his fist to his chest, “All of us are aware of the risks you're taking and we salute you.” 

As Jayke and Danse switched on their stealthboys, a chorus of _“Ad victoriam"_ rang out and the two of them were enveloped in a blinding white-blue light.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

The place was amazing, to say the very least.

It was like something out of a book. Green grass. Blooming trees. Beautifully clear pristine water. 

People wandered the walkways dressed in crisp clean clothing. Lab coats… _\--Uniforms--._ They talked and laughed in groups, just like the soldiers on the Pryd. They ate in a dining hall, chatting idly over drinks and food. They worked in sections of the place on projects.

Jayke constantly found himself just standing and gawking at everything. 

_Remember the objectives._

He poked around a few terminals and peeked inside filing cabinets. 

When he found himself in a large facility that created Synths, he was awestruck and lost in wonder all over again as he watched the creation process. 

Maxson had given a speech at one point all about the dangerous technology the Institute possessed, but this was beyond anything Jay could have ever imagined. They looked just like people. Built with bone and blood, piece by piece. He knew about Synths. Or, he thought he knew. Standing there watching them come to life before his eyes was a whole other ordeal.

He finally tore himself away from the facility and wandered into a place called Synth Retention. 

And it was filled with coursers. 

Jayke stared at a small group of them sitting in a lounge area. His eyes washed over their black coats and the image of the dying man in the inn flooded back to him. 

Details from that night filled his head as he moved carefully to a terminal inside an empty room. The people who had been after the courser had wrecked the inn looking for something. They knew he had a component and that it was missing. They wanted it… Pretty damn badly. 

_‘Check the perimeter.’_

Jay struggled to recall everything he had heard. Something about the words used nagged at him. The voices. 

He hacked past passwords on the terminal and brought up a list of Synths the Coursers were set out to capture and bring back. Most were accounted for, but a few were still missing. Rogue. There were seven which were labeled as M-class Infiltration Synths that were somewhat accounted for at an insertion point titled ‘Alpha’. Apparently, it was too dangerous for the Coursers to get them back. There were notes about observing the Infiltrators and more notes about how they were unable to be tracked down or pinpointed. They were lost almost a year ago. 

Jay glanced at his watch and frowned. He’d taken much longer than he intended. His stealth would be running out soon and he needed to get back to the rendezvous point. 

He frowned at the terminal. He wanted to read more, but he had no time. He took a few large steps backward then turned and rushed out of the area as quickly as he dared with all those damn Coursers around.

He ran down empty hallways and past a patrolling Courser who suddenly took notice. He turned and stared down the hall, drawing his weapon slowly. 

“Shit!” Jay whispered as he worked to slow down to take lighter steps. _Too late._ The Courser knew he was there, somewhere… And the time on his stealthboy was nearly up. 

Another Courser on patrol took notice from further down the hall behind the first and he drew his gun. 

Jay took slow steps backward and held his rifle tight. Should he shoot them? Coursers weren’t to be toyed with. Danse warned him all about the things… They were twice as dangerous as an angry deathclaw. 

Just as his stealth started to waver, he heard the Paladin step up from behind. “Run.”

Danse grabbed him by the vest and pushed him onward down the hall as the two Coursers opened fire. 

They were almost to the extraction point in the nick of time. _So close._

Danse ran right behind Jayke as other patrols were alerted to their presence. The Paladin held up his rifle and flicked the safety off. “Weapons hot.” 

Jay stumbled just as they rounded the corner to the extraction. 

_Weapons hot._

That voice. Why didn’t he figure it out sooner? 

“You…” Jay stared up at Danse in disbelief. “You’re the ones who--”

“Now’s not the time.” He fired around the corner at the Coursers to hold them at bay.

“You wrecked my place… You took me in because... “ He frowned, “all you wanted was the teleporter.”

An energy bolt flew past his head. His rifle suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. 

“Not the time!” Danse repeated.

Jayke glared as anger flooded him. _Not the time._ Would there ever have been a time? “You never even cared about me!” 

Danse turned to him and shook his head. “I needed to get into the Institute, yes. But I never--”

The air around them suddenly cracked and white-blue light swallowed the both of them up once more.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

As soon as Jay appeared he ran from the platform. “Maxson! Danse is--”

He came to an abrupt halt as his vision cleared and gave way to the scene before him. 

Elder Maxson and a few other soldiers were kneeling on the ground, hands behind their heads, with Danse’s team surrounding them… Weapons drawn.

“Drop it,” Danse spoke quietly from behind.

Jay tightened his grip on the rifle and turned to face the Paladin defiantly.

“Please don’t make me shoot you.” 

“Do it.” Jayke glared. 

The two of them locked eyes for several heartbeats until Rhys grabbed Jay’s weapon and jerked it from his hands. 

“Get down.” Rhys pointed to the ground next to Maxson and Jayke complied with a good measure of contempt.


	6. Complying

  
  
  
  
  


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“We can take ‘em.” Lucky whispered from the other side of Maxson.

Jay leaned forward slightly and stared at her incredulously in reply. 

“We have no plan.” The Elder glared at Danse, who had taken his coat and was wearing it as some sort of trophy.

The Lancer’s bird had been tied down with long cables and there were seven armed soldiers to their five. Six. Ingram stood off to the side, clearly a prisoner but unable to kneel as they were because of her modded armor frame.

Ingram made a small motion to the leg of her frame and Jay squinted at it. There was something peeking out of the boot. Then he noticed wires hanging from under the teleporter panel. She had taken out the biometric scanner… The rarest of the components. 

That was all well and good, but unhelpful in their current situation. 

The guarding soldiers moved around to one side near Danse and started talking.

“The Institute was alerted to our presence and it’s only a matter of time before they find out where we came from.” Danse kept an eye on Jayke, specifically, as he spoke.

“Then we better make our move now.” Dawes lifted his weapon for emphasis.

“This is sloppy. We aren’t ready.” Haylen sighed. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this.” She glanced over her shoulder at the group on their knees. 

“Well, this is how it is so on to plan fucking B.” Keane threw a hand up in frustration. 

Worwick snorted, “This goes well beyond plan B.”

“Twenty-four more letters in the alphabet.” Rhys replied.

One of the Knights on his knees behind Maxson whispered quietly, “Sir, we can rush them behind Ingram on your word…”

“I’m uncomfortable with the risk.” He shook his head.

“But if they do what they have planned… What they were talking about earlier… Sir, the potential loss of our lives doesn't outweigh the risk of these guys making Synth soldiers for the Railroad.”

Jay balked at that. He turned around to face the man, “Are you serious?!” 

This was all his fault. All of it. From the very start. Right from the moment he took that Courser chip to Tinker Tom and was baited into doing his bidding. He dropped his hands and fell back on his ass. He had unwittingly helped them all. 

Jayke couldn’t let this happen. Elder Maxson had asked him why he joined… Personal responsibility. This was it. 

He glanced to Ingram and she nodded. 

“Sir…” Jay’s eyes fixed on the scanner in Ingram’s boot, “We need to get you back to the Prydwen.”

Maxson tore his eyes from the Paladin and leveled his gaze at Jay. After a moment, he gave a small nod.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Jay grabbed the scanner and took off toward the big screen toward the side as Ingram charged right up the middle of the surprised guards. They fired a few shots, hitting her frame, just before she plowed into them and the other soldiers behind her started a large scuffle.

Danse turned to watch Jay and the Elder round the corner of the wall and he gave a sharp whistle for Dogmeat as he ran after them.

The dog zipped past Danse and Jay turned just in time to see him tear around the corner to pin him down. 

“Shit!” Jay turned from his bike and held a hand up to cover his face.

Dogmeat ran past Jayke, circled the bike, then barked up at him. 

Apparently, all those treats he had been sneaking the dog over the past several weeks had paid off. Jay let out a deep sigh of relief as he hopped on the bike and started it up. 

“Get on!” 

Maxson eyed the vehicle with a little apprehension then climbed up on the back just as Danse rounded the corner.

“Dammit, Jay! Stand down!” The Paladin had his weapon trained on him. “Please!”

“Shoot me!” Jayke hit the gas on his bike.

Danse struggled for a moment then pressed a hand to his temple in pain. “Don’t make me!” He fired a shot high and far off to the side.

Jay flinched as they sped away and he glanced over his shoulder at the Paladin. The man clutched at his head and dropped to his knees.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

“I’m sorry, Sir.” Jay sighed and dropped his head on the counter between his arms.

“Don’t apologize for your misgivings.” The Elder sat next to him. “Learn from them and grow. That’s the mark of a true soldier. We take responsibility for our actions, pick up the pieces and move on.” 

He turned his head and peered over his arm at the man. “I got people killed.”

“If they had carried out their initial plans, many more lives would have been lost.”

“But this is just a temporary fix.” Jay buried his face back in his arms. “And now the Institute thinks we declared war on them.”

Maxson shook his head and placed a hand on Jay’s shoulder, “We declared war on the Institute the moment I arrived in the Commonwealth.”

“Can you _not_ be ridiculously smart and logical for one single minute?” He lifted his head and wrinkled his nose at the Elder. 

“Absolutely.” Maxson looked serious, “every once in awhile… I sleep.”

They both suddenly jumped from the counter as Dogmeat barked outside. 

“Just me!” Lucky poked her head around the corner then stepped inside the diner. 

“How did you find us?” Jay stared at her as Maxson peered out windows.

“Ah… DM led me.” She motioned to the dog and hopped up on the counter to sit. “Also, you guys left tire tracks… And you aren’t that far away… And this is a shit hiding spot.” She frowned and shook her head, “They overwhelmed us.”

“The others?” Jay cocked his chin toward the door she had come through.

“They...” She dropped her shoulders and stared down at the floor, “were good soldiers.”

“We need to go.” Maxson pushed Lucky off her perch and headed to the door.  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

Sure as shit, they didn’t even get a block away before Danse made an appearance.

Dogmeat growled and the Paladin glared. “Traitor…”

“Hypocrite.” Maxson spat.

“For what it’s worth,” the Paladin lifted his chin, “the Danse you knew was completely loyal and always honest. I’m sorry I was programmed with a different intent.”

“How long have you been…” Maxson trailed off, unable to say the words he wanted to.

“Doesn’t matter.” He shrugged, “My core programming was more recently tampered with and altered… Before that, I had no idea I was… Am… What I am.”

“What you are is a huge fucking lie.” Jayke shook his head angrily, “I thought you cared…”

A look of pain crossed Danse’s face. “I did. I _do_.” He touched his fingertips to his temple, “but I can’t go against the new core protocol.” He raised his rifle higher. “I have to complete the mission… At all cost.”

“I have a mission for ya…” Lucky stepped forward, “eat a flaming dick.”

Rhys appeared from around the corner, “We’ve wasted enough time here.”

Jay sighed, “I knew there was a reason I didn’t like you.”

“And I knew you’d be trouble.” The man motioned with his pistol for them to leave. As Jayke walked past, Rhys added, “but I was wrong when I said you could never cut it as a Brotherhood soldier… You’ve earned my respect.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - - -**

“You can’t make me.” Jay crossed his arms stubbornly and set his feet.

“Are you fucking serious, kid?” Keane motioned with his rifle to the remaining team members outside the teleporter. They were missing Worwick…

“Just fix the thing.” Rhys shoved Jay toward the instrument panel. 

Danse sighed pointedly at Jayke. “Do not test me.”

Dawes glared, “Danse may have some sort of emotional hangup… But I sure don’t.” He raised his rifle and took aim… At the back of Maxson’s head.

Jayke put his hands out toward them, “okay! Okay… Don’t... “ He pulled the scanner from Dogmeat’s armored vest and knelt down next to the panel.

“And do it right… You and the Elder will be going in first.” Rhys pointed at the panel with his rifle.  
  


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	7. Suppressing

  
  
  
  
  


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Back inside the Institute, the place was on high alert already and Danse had actually given Jay, Maxson, and Lucky weapons. They didn’t have time to turn them on the traitors… As soon as they teleported in they were under fire.

Evacuation orders repeated throughout the place on speakers as the soldiers cleared the entire Institute.

They broke off into smaller groups and Rhys took Jayke immediately with himself and Haylen. Dogmeat followed at Jay’s heel without any prompting.

Jay was directed to run point in front of the two of them as they made their way down hallways. 

“Where are we going?” Jayke glared over his shoulder at Rhys. He contemplated shooting the man. _Perhaps he’d get a chance…_

“None of your fucking business.” Rhys smirked as he threw Jayke’s words back at him from their initial meeting. 

They entered a room and Jay stopped to stare. _Reactor core._ It was… Impressive. 

Haylen moved to a panel and sighed, “I’ll need a lot of time we don’t have to get into this.”

Rhys grabbed Jayke by the arm and shoved him toward the panel, “Unlock the core.”

“You can’t make me.” 

The man sighed and pressed the barrel of his rifle against Dogmeat’s head.

“You would not shoot a dog!” Jay balked.

“Try me.” Rhys narrowed his eyes.

Haylen put her hands out toward the both of them, “stop it!” She glared at Rhys, “we both know you’d never kill Dogmeat.” She sighed and turned to Jay. “Look… Danse has to do what he was reprogrammed to do… But we don’t.” She cast a sideways glance to Rhys and he lowered his weapon. “We’re with you on this. They can’t be allowed to use the facilities here… This place needs to be destroyed before Danse is forced to complete the mission.”

“What…” Jay stared in disbelief. “What the hell?!” A mix of emotions crashed through him. “All this fucking time… Why didn’t you just kill Danse?!” 

“He’s a good man.” Haylen shook her head. “He’s a good man being forced to do things he doesn’t want to do. But once this place is destroyed, his protocol will be rendered moot and he’ll be free… You understand why we couldn’t tell anyone. Danse would have been forced to stop us.”

Jayke blinked stupidly at her as he worked to take it all in. He looked over at Rhys and the man rested his rifle at his side, running a thumb under the strap. His face had softened considerably. Rhys suddenly looked… Human. His eyes held an earnest look. Beseeching. 

“Okay…” Jayke put his hands on the panel and worked to unlock the core.

Rhys watched him with a little half smile, “Good thing you know rocket science…”

Jay snorted, “Good thing.”

The core opened and Haylen fitted a small explosive device to it. 

A new warning blared over the speakers about a reactor core breach and Rhys sighed, “give it twenty minutes.”

She shook her head, “hardly enough time…”

“It’s all we have before they notice and come down here.” Rhys held his rifle up and smiled at Jay. “I’ll give you a head start.”  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Jayke ran down halls trying to find where the citizens were being evacuated from. He rounded a corner and nearly ran into Dawes and Keane.

“What did you do, you little shit?!” Keane raised his rifle and Dogmeat pounced on him, grabbing his arm and jerking him to the side just as he fired.

Dawes ran after Jay and cornered him in a small room. “Danse should have killed you right from the start.” 

“Stand down!” Danse grabbed the man by the back of his vest and pulled him back. 

Immediately, he pressed fingers to his temple, but he shook it off. 

Brach and Keane, clutching a bloody arm, appeared in the hall behind the Paladin. 

“Kill that little fucker.” Keane hissed through clenched teeth as he glanced down at his wounded arm.

“Where are Maxson and Lucci?” Danse turned to face the others. 

“They broke off and evac’d…” Brach lowered his eyes sheepishly.

“Go after them!” The Paladin pointed sternly and the pair scrambled off.

Jay stood in the room and spoke up, “not the time.” He flashed a smirk to Danse. “Got about fourteen minutes before this place goes.”

Danse clutched at his head and stepped backward. “I have to... “ He yelled in pain as he struggled then pushed past the others and went for the reactor. 

Dawes laughed as he raised his rifle, “Awe, daddy Danse left you.”

A shot rang out and Jay flinched. 

Then Dawes dropped to the ground. 

“Run.” Danse stood behind Dawes' body and pointed his rifle down the hall, stepping back from the door to let Jayke escape. 

Jay hesitated down the hall and turned when he heard Danse yelling in pain. He took a step toward the Paladin when he saw him drop to his knees, but then he stopped when Rhys and Haylen appeared to help him up. 

Jayke turned away and trotted off into the evac room.  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

He appeared out in front of the old C.I.T. building. The citizens of the Institute were long gone and he stood alone trying to get his bearings. According to intel, the Institute was somewhere right below his feet. He looked at his watch. Five minutes.

Five minutes until a reactor core explosion turned the area into a huge crater. He’d never be able to escape that. He had a bike stashed just a half block away… He could maybe...

Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm and pulled him into a run.

“Maxson?!”

“We were ported to the theater and Lucci got her aircraft…” He pulled Jay around the corner of the building.

Jayke didn’t need any further prompting as he saw the bird waiting for them. 

He laughed as he climbed inside, “you’re an angel, Lucky.”

“I know.” 

As the bird ascended and moved down the road not quite a block, it suddenly jerked to the side. 

“What the shit?!” Lucky growled.

Maxson peered out the open door then quickly ducked back inside as laser fire zipped past.

“They have cables around the aircraft.” The Elder motioned with his rifle. “Two enemies in sight.” He popped his head around the door frame and fired a couple shots then hid back inside. “One.”

“Cover me.” Jayke didn’t hesitate to climb out of the bird to cut the cables holding them.

The Elder fired suppressing rounds out of the bird as Jayke used his rifle to cut through one of the two taught cables secured under the aircraft by grappling hooks. 

Then he dropped his rifle. 

“Fuck…” 

Maxson killed the other man on the ground and Jay grabbed the cable, wrapped his legs around it, and slid down.

“Jay!” The Elder yelled after him.

“I got this!” 

He pulled the half-hitch knot free of its mooring and the bird jerked free.

He glanced down at his watch as he ran to his bike. Two minutes.

Jayke hopped on and tried to start it. The bike gurgled and spat. This one had been unridden for some time…

“Come on… Work with me, here…” He pressed the button repeatedly until it suddenly roared to life under him. 

He tore off down the road under the vertibird and hunkered down as he sped up toward one of his favorite ramps. 

He hit the angled asphalt and flew toward the bird. Jay reached out with both hands and let the bike fall from under him.

The cable bit into his palms as he slid down it a little ways before he could wrap his feet, but he held on tight and closed his eyes to shut out the pain.

The aircraft turned then took off over the river as the ground erupted behind.

Just as chunks of building and large bits of rubble started to fly through the air, Lucky circled around a distant building for cover. 

Jay could still feel the shockwave from the blast even from so far away. Windows around him shattered and pelted him with glass.  
  


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	8. Beginning

  
  
  
  
  


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The two city guards escorted Jay into the inn, once again.

His mom stepped up to them and looked him over, “J.C…” A smile spread across her face and she threw her arms around him. “I’m proud of you, son.” She stepped back and looked him over. 

Jayke spread his arms to show off his BoS fatigues. His jacket sported a Knight insignia over the shoulder and his name was embroidered across the front. 

“Nice place you have here.” Lucky grinned from her perch on the counter.

Jay smiled as he entered the room full of people. They were there for him… _Celebrating._

He stepped up to Sturges, crossed his arms, and cocked an eyebrow.

“Still mad at me?” The man pointed a bottle at him as he leaned back against the counter.

Jayke dropped his arms and grinned. “Thank you, Sturges.” 

“Anytime.” He chuckled and took a drink. “I like your friends.” He cocked his head back toward one of the soldiers who was just stepping out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a rag. 

“Feel free to cut the cake now.” Ingram grinned as she tossed the rag at him.

She had sported a few new scars, but she’d survived. What’s more, Maxson had sent her and a few others to replace everything in the inn that had been damaged… _And then some._  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Jay leaned against the wall and laughed as he watched Lucky standing on the counter regaling the adventure to the crowd.

The way she spun the tale left Danse, Rhys and Haylen dead… But Jayke suspected otherwise. He smiled down at Dogmeat laying at his feet. 

The dog had showed up wandering the city with a shoulder wound… Someone had to have gotten him out of the Institute. 

Haylen had said that, once the Institute was destroyed, Danse would be free. 

But that didn’t mean he was free to come back to the Brotherhood. No matter how much of a good man he was or what the circumstances of his betrayal were, he was a Synth and he was a traitor. 

So Jay kept his thoughts to himself and let them believe what they would. 

Jayke wanted to believe the three of them were out there somewhere. 

He sighed and pushed away from the wall. He needed a moment to himself...  
  


**\- - - - - - - -**

Jayke grabbed a bottle and sat down in the window bench, leaning back against the wall. He popped the top off and took a long swallow of the Nuka Cola. He grinned down at the bottle in his hand for a moment then glanced out the window at a figure standing in the shadows off the side of the dirt road.

Pressing his fingertips to the window, Jay smiled. 

Danse smiled back up at him and gave a salute, fist to chest, then slowly stepped backward into the darkness to disappear. 

For quite some time after he was gone, Jay watched the spot the man had been standing in. They’d cross paths again, he was sure. Danse was out there, somewhere, watching over him. 

His mother’s voice out in the hall pulled his attention from the window. “J.C.? Everything alright?”

“Yeah.” He stood up and cast one more glance out the window over his shoulder. “Everything’s great.” He smiled. He could finally say that and mean it. “Be right down…”

Jay pulled his holotags from under his shirt and felt a sense of pride wash over him. He slowly ran his thumb over his name stamped into the steel…

 

_Knight Jaykob Cutler._  
  


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End file.
